The "Countdown to Kickoff" says just one more day until the big game against Notre Dame (1-9), but in some respects, Duke has been waiting for this showdown for 11 years.
That was the last time the Blue Devils (1-9) suited up for a nationally televised game, which resulted in a 48-22 loss to Georgia Tech on ESPN. But a win this Saturday would result in the kind of head-turning publicity-and legitimacy-that the football program has sought since Duke's last winning season in 1989.
"I think it would certainly bring an awful lot of national attention to Duke University and to Duke football," offensive coordinator Peter Vaas said. "But more important than that, I think we're in a much more selfish situation now where we would like to get a win for our seniors and our football team as much as we'd like to get one for the program."
What once appeared to be a sure blowout loss now looks like a perfect opportunity for the Blue Devils to record one of their biggest victories in recent years, even if it is against the uncharacteristically woeful Fighting Irish.
The buzz around campus has been apparent, as many students have flight plans and rental cars ready for a weekend excursion to South Bend for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff in Notre Dame Stadium.
The players have done their best to treat this like any other game. Nevertheless, Vaas, drawing on his two previous coaching experiences at Notre Dame, spoke to the entire team before practice Tuesday about what to expect at one of the country's most storied college football scenes.
"[He said] we're going to pull up to the stadium, and it's not going to look too big from outside. And then you actually walk down into the stadium, and it gets really big once you get inside," senior Chris Davis said. "The Touchdown Jesus, the College Hall of Fame, the big crowd, and things like that."
Since the game was slated nearly four years ago, the team has been asked many times about its take on Notre Dame's history, tradition and even the famous movie "Rudy." Although the excitement and anticipation outside the football program has only grown since that time, head coach Ted Roof stressed that his team is concentrating only on the game itself.
"I want our guys to...focus on playing with great effort, doing their assignment and getting after the guy they're lined up in front of, not on what's happened at Notre Dame in the past," he said. "I don't want their past history or tradition to make any tackles or score any touchdowns. I want us to stay in the now, stay in the moment."
Earlier this season, Roof was asked what he would have said if he had been told at the beginning of the season that Duke's first matchup against a losing team would come in Week 11 versus Notre Dame.
"I would have lost my house," he said.
Instead, the Blue Devils seem to have a legitimate chance of duplicating their Midwest magic from earlier this year when they beat bowl-eligible Northwestern 20-14 Sept. 15. Even though the highly-anticipated contest might serve as nothing more than a moral victory at this point, Duke is still focused on trying to finish the season on a high note.
"Our players deserve to experience the thrill of victory again," Vaas said. "I can still remember how happy they were when we were in the Midwest the last time when we finished the Northwestern game. There was an awful lot of excitement in that locker room, and I'd like for them to experience that again."
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